USGA Course Care

Golf Carts: Five Things Every Golfer Should KnowMAY 9, 2018 | LIBERTY CORNER, N.J.By George Waters, USGA

Golf carts can improve access and generate revenue, but they can also have negative impacts on turf health and playing conditions. (Green Section)

Golf carts play an important role at many golf facilities. They provide a revenue source and increase accessibility, allowing golfers who might not otherwise be able to walk the course to enjoy playing. These benefits are not without their costs, however. Golf carts can have very negative impacts on turf health and playing conditions, especially in areas where traffic is concentrated. Keeping these five things in mind will help ensure that you don’t put the cart before the course during your next round.

1. The impact of cart traffic varies.

Many factors influence how cart traffic affects a golf course. Certain grasses are more vulnerable to traffic injury and may require special cart policies. Areas with heavy soils and poor drainage face a greater risk of compaction and other traffic issues. Even the time of year plays a role. When grasses are growing slowly, they are more vulnerable to the cumulative effects of cart traffic. For all these reasons, cart policies vary from course to course, hole to hole and even day to day.

2. Wet conditions and cart traffic do not mix.

Carts can slide, skid and sink when turf is wet, causing immediate and lasting damage. Wet soils are also more vulnerable to compaction, which can have negative long-term effects on playing conditions, even if those impacts are not immediately visible. Avoiding wet areas and respecting cart path restrictions is an important part of being a responsible cart driver.

Driving a golf cart through a wet area causes serious damage. By respecting cart restrictions and avoiding wet areas, golfers help care for the course.

3. Cart traffic during hot, dry weather can also cause problems.

It’s easy to understand that driving a cart through a soaking wet area is likely to cause problems, but many golfers are not aware that driving over dry or heat-stressed turf can also cause issues. During hot and dry weather, cart traffic increases stress on the grass and can leave behind damaged turf and straw-colored tire marks that may take weeks to heal.

Cart traffic during hot and dry weather can also cause turf damage. The tire marks that appear on dry or heat-stressed turf can take weeks to heal.

4. Sometimes it’s better to take the road less traveled.

A single golf cart driving down a fairway has little to no effect on turf health or playing conditions. It is the cumulative effect of many carts that eventually takes a toll on the grass. This is why cart damage is most obvious in areas where traffic is concentrated, like the ends of cart paths. Doing your best to steer clear of high-traffic areas can greatly reduce the impact of your cart.

5. Less cart traffic means better playing conditions.

Walking or sharing a cart goes a long way toward reducing cart traffic and improving turf health. This helps courses conserve resources and provide better playing conditions for everyone.

Reducing cart traffic makes it easier to maintain healthy turf and good playing conditions. When possible, walking instead of riding is a big help. (USGA/Darren Carroll)

Golf facilities use ropes, stakes, signs and many other traffic control measures to minimize the negative impacts of cart use; but ultimately, they depend on golfers to be mindful of where and how they drive. Respecting course rules, being understanding of cart restrictions and doing our best to reduce cart traffic can have a very positive impact on the courses we play. Visit the Course Care section of USGA.org to learn more. 

A great article on the Augusta syndrome by Mike Bailey

Ten reasons why Augusta National shouldn't make you green with envy

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By Mike Bailey Senior Staff Writer

Apr 05, 2016

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The Masters not only has expert staff but plenty of volunteer help to keep Augusta National pristine during the week of the tournament. (Getty Images)

It's what's known in the golf course maintenance business as the "Augusta effect," and high definition TV has only amplified it.

Over the past 30 or 40 years especially, the maintenance staff at Augusta National has set the standard extremely high for golf course superintendents everywhere.

Golfers watch the Masters on TV and salivate over the beauty and perfection. And if you've never been to Augusta National during tournament week and think that maybe that's just the way it looks on television, think again. It is that perfect.

Peter Grass, the newly elected president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association, knows how unfair this is to superintendents.

"Superintendents are being asked to do more with less -- less money, less staff and less water. There are high costs directly related to golf course management," said Grass, who is superintendent at Hilands Golf Club in Billings, Mont. "However, golfers' high expectations have not changed. They still want their courses to be impeccable. Despite the challenges, superintendents also want their courses to offer exceptional play on healthy turf. Every day, they strive to provide the best possible conditions to customers."

Eric Bauer, the director of agronomy at the new Bluejack National Golf Club north of Houston, knows a little about trying to emulate Augusta's conditioning. The exclusive course, which was designed by Tiger Woods, has a definite Augusta look to it, and it's expected to have that Augusta look.

But even then, with a generous maintenance budget at an exclusive club, Bauer will tell you (below) that there are other ways Augusta National has an advantage.

So yes, Augusta really shouldn't be setting the standard, as it were; it's unattainable for all but a very few. Here, then, are 10 reasons it's unreasonable for most golfers to compare their home course to Augusta National Golf Club.

10. Good help is hard to find, but not for Augusta National

Augusta National gets the very best people to mow greens, blow leaves, rake bunkers and put out fresh pine needles. "If you were to ask a majority of superintendents today labor is becoming more and more a challenge," Bauer says. "Today's worker is getting harder to find and motivate."

9. Augusta also gets the best volunteers during Masters Week

When you see that army of mowers sweeping the fairways after play each day, those aren't members of Augusta's regular maintenance staff; many of those guys and gals are superintendents at some pretty high-profile courses around the world, doing specific tasks normally associated with regular crew members. In fact, just go ahead and multiply the crew by 10 during tournament week and imagine most of those guys with mowers and blowers having turfgrass degrees. That's Augusta National.

8. Augusta attracts the very best young talent, too

What budding superintendent or tech wouldn't want to work at Augusta National? Every year, the club gets flooded with resumes from all over the country and from the very best turgrass schools. As Bauer says, "Augusta probably has its pick of the best of the best coming out of school or wishing to complete internships, only to have the opportunity to put ANGC on their resume."

7. No carts are allowed at Augusta National -- ever

Forget the 90-degree rule, this is an all-walking, caddie course that is not going to be ruined by those pesky golf carts driving all over its pristine fairways. (Ironically, Club Car is headquartered in Augusta, Ga.) So, right there, Augusta National gets a lot less wear and tear than your home course.

6. Augusta National isn't natural

Not to imply that the folks at ANGC are doing anything harmful to the environment, but you don't get conditions like that without spending a lot of money on pesticides, herbicides, wetting agents and the like. So if you're the type who likes your golf course as natural as possible, you can forget it looking like the one on Magnolia Lane.

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More: So you want to be golf course superintendent?

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5. Greens Stimped at 13 and above would slow down play

If you want really fast smooth greens, think about the average golfer. Inducing three- and four-putts all over the place -- especially on weekends -- would grind play to a halt. Who wants that?

4. Perfect conditions and affordable green fees don't go together

It takes pretty much an unlimited budget to produce perfect conditions, and the members at Augusta not only have deep pockets, but they get a boatload of TV money, too. Of course there are a few private clubs and even some resort courses around the country that have close-to-perfect conditions, but they aren't exactly affordable for the masses. So if you're looking for any kind of value golf, you really have to learn to overlook a few flaws.

3. Without a lot of play, great conditions are easier to maintain

Though Augusta National isn't in the habit of disclosing how many rounds they get (ANGC staff isn't even available to comment for articles), you can bet it's less than your club, unless you're a one-percenter. Much less. There are days where Augusta might get two or three groups, and that's not abnormal. Without much play, it's much easier to give a golf course some serious TLC.

2. What's wrong with firm and fast?

It takes a lot of water to make a course as green as Augusta National, which has an incredible irrigation and drainage system that keeps it from getting soggy. For most courses, that kind of watering would mean an awfully soft golf course, the opposite of say, Chambers Bay near Seattle, which was heavily criticized for its brownish-green look during the 2015 U.S. Open. But let's face it, most golfers want their drives to roll out, and they want to be able to bounce a ball up onto the green, which is very difficult if you're watering a course to keep it super green.

1. No summertime golf at Augusta National

On TV we see Augusta National in all its glory with the azaleas in bloom, the fairways and greens perfect and the weather conducive for growing cool-season grasses. In the summer, that doesn't work so well, so the course is closed, and it doesn't have to endure the stress of hot weather with people taking divots and making ball marks on its perfect greens. As the GCSAA's Grass says, "Superintendents face challenges from Mother Nature, whether it's a rough winter or summer drought conditions. But, superintendents are problem solvers, and they know the best ways possible to deal with whatever Mother Nature brings."

COURSE CARE

Should We Do It?FEBRUARY 16, 2018By Elliott Dowling, agronomist, Northeast Region

Playing golf on soft or partially thawed greens can result in damage like excessive ball marks, thin turf or footprints that linger into spring.

Excitement for the upcoming golf season begins to build during late winter. While some golf facilities in the Northeast close for winter, others continue to allow play depending on the weather. When the weather is favorable, allowing play usually is a fairly simple decision. However, the decision becomes much more difficult when the weather fluctuates between extremes. Mild and sunny days in February and March might be enticing to golfers, but lasting turfgrass damage can result when winter play is allowed under the wrong conditions.

Playing golf during highly variable winter weather can result in turf damage. During late winter, cold snaps often follow periods of warm temperatures. Under these conditions, turf is extremely vulnerable to injury from traffic. Play during a sudden thaw can be especially damaging because the upper 1 or 2 inches of soil can defrost while the underlying soil remains frozen. Traffic under these conditions can shear turf roots at the interface between the thawed and frozen layers. Such shearing can compromise turf health come spring.

Frozen soils also cannot drain. When precipitation occurs, the surface of frozen soils will remain saturated and prone to injury. Soils also dry slowly during late winter due to short day length and cool temperatures, so even unfrozen soils will be slow to dry and firm up after precipitation. Soft surfaces are more vulnerable to damage from foot traffic, ball marks, rutting and compaction.

It is important to remember, no matter how thawed or frozen the soil is, turf is unlikely to be growing during winter. Grass that isn’t growing cannot recover from damage until spring. Therefore, turf damage that occurs during winter can have a cumulative effect that lasts until warm weather arrives and the grass is able to recover.

Before allowing winter play ask, what is the purpose of winter play? All golf facilities welcome additional rounds, but sometimes allowing play during winter presents more costs than benefits. Keep in mind that winter play under the wrong conditions may result in a net loss due to the expense of repairs or slow spring greenup.

Winter Project Update

Winter projects are moving right along this year. Over the past winters we have performed our spring greens aerification during the winter. We have experimented with different techniques so we can achieve our USGA recommended 20% surface disruption. During this time we exercise the most disruption allowing us to achieve our goals. This is very important during this time, our member play is down and we do close the greens for these agronomic programs.  This year we opted to target the top 1 inch of the green surface. We regularly test the top 4 inches and our test concluded we needed to be target the top. We used a machine that slices a 1 inch deep line and then is filled with sand right behind the unit. This is a wonderful way to have firm and fast greens during the summer months. For our second program, we will use our deep tine machine that will poke a hole 12 inches deep. We then will drop a line of sand and manually broom into the holes. This will help with drainage and increase the rooting on the greens. Once the deep tine program is complete (fingers crossed by next week), we will cover the greens until sometime in mid-March.

Other notable Projects:

• Golf Course wide tree pruning. This will increase sight lines, shade mitigation and improve air flow. 
• Curbs have been installed on 3 green, 4 green 5 green, 18 green, 9 green, and 10 tee along the cart path edge. This will cut down on wear and the staff having to repair every year. 
• Fairways have been verti-cut, aerified, and top dressed and currently we are finishing up the deep tine.
• Rough has been aerified
• The rough around #5 green has been replaced with new sod.
• Our new tee on #17 is coming along nicely and we hope to have this completed by March. 

The Graden Machine in Action

Pushing off left over debris

Deep tine machine going 12 inches deep

Sand ready to be pushed into the holes 

Finished product

#18 green side curb addition

#10 Tee curb addition

USGA Regional Update

Deep Root Zone Modification In Fall For Better Putting Greens In SummerOCTOBER 20, 2017By Paul Jacobs, agronomist, Northeast Region

Drill-and-fill aeration is one of several options that can improve a putting green root zone profile beyond the capabilities of conventional core aeration.

Deep root zone modification of soil-based putting greens can provide significant, long-lasting benefits and mid to late fall can be a great time to do the work. Conventional core aeration practices typically affect the upper 3 to 4 inches of the root zone profile and may not fully address internal drainage issues. Over time, conventional core aeration performed at the same depth can also leave the underlying soil compacted. Implementing a program that targets deeper portions of the root zone profile can improve internal drainage, turf rooting and overall putting green performance. Putting greens with drainage systems tend to benefit the most from deep root zone modification.

Several options exist for deep root zone modification and each has its unique benefits. While one technique may be highly beneficial in one situation, it may not be the best choice for others. Consider the following options to supplement your conventional cultivation practices:

Drill and fill – This process drills holes up to 12 inches deep into a putting green on 6-inch centers, removing soil and backfilling each hole with sand to create deep sand columns in the root zone profile. The process can be labor intensive, but it infuses a significant amount of sand deep into the root zone profile that provides long-lasting benefits.

• Ideal applications – Putting greens with poor internal drainage – e.g., soil-based putting greens.

Deep-tine aeration – Most commonly this process is performed with solid tines that can penetrate up to 10 inches deep. Solid tines do not remove material but they fracture, loosen and alleviate compaction in subsoils that are not reached by conventional core aeration. Deep-tine aeration generally requires no cleanup and surface disruption is minimal.

• Ideal applications – Relieving compaction in all soil types. Perform deep-tine aeration during late fall to create open columns for drainage during freeze and thaw cycles.

Sand injection – Machines can use high-pressure water to inject sand into a putting green root zone profile. The sand channels created by this process often mimic the shape of a water droplet – i.e., narrow near the top and wider at the bottom. This method does not infuse sand as deeply as drill and fill, but it is faster and much less disruptive to the playing surface. Performing sand injection immediately after deep-tine aeration will help infuse sand deeper into the profile; however, no material is removed from the profile during sand injection.

• Ideal applications – Putting greens with excess organic matter in the upper 2-6 inches of the soil profile and soil-based putting greens with a shallow – i.e.,1- to 3-inch deep – modified root zone.

Each of these practices can improve putting green performance when used in the right situation, but they are not replacements for conventional core aeration. However, implementing one of the above practices can improve drainage and alleviate compaction deep within your putting greens. For more information about which option is best for your facility, contact your regional USGA agronomist.

USGA Regional Update

COURSE CARE

Dark And StormyJULY 7, 2017By Jim Skorulski, agronomist, Northeast Region

Ominous storm clouds signal an oncoming front and the potential for dangerous lightning.

Wet and soggy conditions have been common across most of the Northeast Region this season. Wet weather has saturated many golf courses and flooded others, disrupting maintenance and course-conditioning efforts. Fortunately, the wet weather has not severely affected turf conditions because temperatures have mostly remained moderate. However, continued wet weather combined with warming soil temperatures will reduce turfgrass rooting and could prove fatal. Turf managers are taking advantage of any dry weather to catch up on spraying and topdressing practices that have been disrupted by the rain. Hopefully the weather will also allow an opportunity to vent putting greens. Venting will help soils dry and re-establish gas exchange in the root zone. The USGA webcast, “Venting Aeration – A Benefit to Putting Greens,” further illustrates this popular cultivation technique.

Stormy weather patterns also bring concerns about lightning and the dangers it presents for workers and golfers. A properly functioning lightning detection system is the best defense against lightning. Lightning detection systems provide advance warning of incoming storms and let facilities know when conditions are safe to resume outside activities. However, not all golf facilities have lightning detection systems and there may be times when workers and golfers have to determine for themselves when it is time to seek shelter. Here are a few tips that workers and golfers can use when severe weather approaches:

1. The time between a lightning flash and thunder can be used to determine how far away the lightning strike occurred. Sound travels at a speed of about 1,125 feet per second (343 meters per second), equating to about a five-second count per mile (three seconds per kilometer) from the time of a lightning flash until the clap of thunder is heard. A count of 10 seconds between a flash of lightning and the clap of thunder means the lightning strike was approximately 2 miles away. Many were taught to count one second for each mile between a lightning flash and thunder, which greatly overestimates how far away the lightning strike occurred.

2. The “30/30 rule” is used by many to determine when it is time to head for shelter. The rule says that lightning poses a threat if it takes less than 30 seconds to hear thunder after a lightning flash and people should wait 30 minutes after a storm passes before resuming outdoor activities. The problem with the 30/30 rule is that the numbers are arbitrary. Using this method does not help to determine if a storm has sufficiently passed or if another storm is approaching. The best approach is to take cover as a lighting storm approaches and remain there until you are sure the storm has passed or until an all-clear signal is provided.

3. Lightning will often strike a tall object, but not always. Taking cover near smaller trees or objects hoping the lightning will strike a taller object may get you in trouble. Lightning can strike the ground or smaller trees, endangering anyone close to those areas. The only safe place to take cover from a storm is indoors or inside a closed vehicle.

4. Lightning never strikes twice is an old myth. Lightning can indeed strike the same spot multiple times if conditions are right.

July is also the time for field day demonstrations at Rutgers University and the University of Massachusetts. Field days provide an opportunity to see research in progress, to observe the newest grasses and to view the effectiveness of various control agents. Field days also provide an opportunity to interact with colleagues, which seems to be more and more difficult to do with everyone’s busy schedules. It is never easy to leave your golf course during midsummer, but try to attend one of the university field day events even if just for a few hours in the morning to support the university and gain valuable information that will make you a better manager. We hope to see you there.

Dear Members, 

As you know, over the past several months we have experienced a wide range of temperature swings.  These conditions enabled us to aerify the greens in January and have them covered immediately afterward.  This will allow our greens to recover sooner, providing for an early spring green-up period.  With our next aerification scheduled for August, golfers will have an excellent surface throughout most of the season. 

Aerating in the winter as we do allows us to do "core removal" at a time that will not interfere with the golfing season.  This process is very important to remove excessive organic matter near the top of the surface, creating greater breathing room for the turf and improved drainage.  This will keep the greens healthier and enable deeper root growth. 

It has been our strategy to aerify during the winter so that our greens are not disrupted with the aerification process during prime golfing season.  You might visit other courses at this time and see their greens in better condition than ours.  This means that they have chosen to aerify later in the spring.  While their greens may look good now, they will have a disruption in April or May, as all courses must aerify their greens.  Lakewood, on the other hand, will feel its pain early and reach prime golf season with its greens ready to go.  Aerating in the winter also puts little stress on the greens as the grass is mostly dormant during these times. With the climate we have during most summers - high humidity and heat - it's important to have a deep root profile.  Then, when we do have a drought, as we have in recent years at times, the greens are better able to adapt and not burn-out. The aerification we perform in August is done with small tines, loosening the soil and breaking up some organic matter while providing for air movement after a summer of play. 

In addition, removing the cores as we do in January, followed by covering the greens, enables the grasses to heal quicker than they would during traditional cold weather.  Of course, with the wide temperature swings we experienced in early March, we did remove the covers earlier than anticipated, exposing the greens to the warmth and sunlight, allowing them to heal faster. 

All in all, we anticipate having our greens in excellent condition early in the season and throughout the summer, with minimal impact on Members golfing enjoyment for greens conditioning. 

On other items across the grounds, we have installed curbs at select locations and we are allowing the grass behind the first green to grow higher, improving the turf and making it an easier walk from the cart path to the green.  We have also "deep-tined" all our fairways and approaches to the greens.  A light top-dressing of these areas will take place in April. 

Elsewhere, we are creating a new white tee on the eighteenth hole, lengthening it by approximately 30 yards.  We expect this to be completed by the end of March, followed by a few weeks of grow-in before opening it for Member play. 

However, a great deal of my staff's time was also spent assisting with getting the Club's new Air-Structure up and running.  We installed a new irrigation system for each court and aided the various contractors as needed to meet schedules. 

Our final steps in March will be going through our bunker prep process, cleaning the edges, checking for consistent depth of sand and adding as needed.  With over four acres of bunkers, this is a very time consuming process, but one which is important to maintaining a premier course.  We will also be adding sod at select areas in the short-game area.  Obviously, the amount of heavy traffic this area receives results in a very slow recovery time.  By adding new sod now, the short-game area will be in good condition when Members begin to use it in the coming weeks. 

Regards, 

Phil Desbrow, CGCS

December Golf Course Update

Last week we received almost two inches of much needed rain and has helped to recharge the soil profile going into the winter. This has also put a damper on some of our projects that have already started.

• New tee on #18 is delayed until we can work the soil, this tee will lengthen the white tee markers close to 30 yards. 

• Golf course leaf clean up is slowly coming to an end.
• Fairway Deep tine is complete and we are currently using the deep tine machine on the tees.

• Curb install is on going, we are currently installing behind one green. We also will be raising the drain basin up. Our goal with raising this area up us to facilitate an easier walk to the green and reduce the wear and tear the turfgrass receives. The white outline is our working area and will be the tie in point when all complete. 

• Our most notable project started today, we have contracted out Mid-Atlantic Dryject services to inject sand into our upper profile of the greens. As you can see from the photos, this is a gentle process to the surface of the but underneath you can see the results. This is just another process to help us reduce our organic matter in the upper surface of the green. The results will pay dividends during the summer. Tuesdays forecast includes rain, and on Wednesday we will finish up the few remaining greens. 

Course update.

Today we are finishing up the Graden on the tees and will move into approaches with the sand we have left over.  

We also are spot aerifying traffic areas on the green surface.  These areas will benefit from a little extra air and water movement.  

Rough Aerification is on going as well as our compost applications.  

 

From the USGA: Managing Organic Matter on Putting Greens

http://gsrpdf.lib.msu.edu/ticpdf.py?file=/article/moeller-lowe-managing-11-4-16.pdf

Tee Graden

The machine is performing well and we are well on our way. You can see in the photo the objective of the whole process. New sand channels will allow water to move through the profile.  

 

Course Update

This week it is full steam ahead with agronomic programs.

• We have already begun to deep tine fairways and look to finishing them up this week or early part of next week. This is a must process to facilitate deep rooting as well as promote good drainage. 

• Greens were vert-cut in two directions followed by a light top dressing. The objective is to cut out the over growth of bentgrass and to tighten up the canopy. Following this, top dressing is applied to firm up the surface. 

• This past summer we experienced a large amount of wet wilt on our tees.  We have been given access to a Graden that cuts a slit into the turfgrass and drops sand into it. This program is necessary so that we can improve our drainage and promote a healthy playing surface.  It is a long process and our goal is to have all the tees done this week.  

We are also completing the rough aerification. With over 80 acres of rough this too is a long process and takes time. Once the rough is aerified, we will follow up with compost. Over the years compost has been a big part for our rough. With limited irrigation in most places, the compost helps retain moisture as well as create a much better growing medium for the turfgrass.  Our bi-annual fairway top dressing program will commence in late November or early December and more to follow when this begins. 

A message from the USGA

COURSE CARE

Truth And ConsequencesSEPTEMBER 16, 2016By Elliott Dowling, agronomist, Northeast Region and David Oatis, regional director, Northeast Region

Dry seasons highlight irrigation deficiencies and pinpoint where adjustments are necessary.

The summer of 2016 has been extremely challenging for golf courses in the Northeast Region; and it isn't over yet. The heat and humidity have been oppressive, and rainfall has been extreme or absent, depending on your location. In most years, turf managers anxiously wait for September, normally a month that favors turf recovery. Unfortunately, until very recently September has provided little relief from summer heat. Most golf courses have experienced some stress and turf thinning, if not total turf loss. Recovery is needed, but it has been slow to arrive because of the ongoing heat and lack of rainfall. Irrigation is not a substitute for natural rain, and the absence of rain is slowing germination and growth.

September also marks the unofficial start of fall projects. Golf courses rely on fall projects and cultivation to improve turf health and playing conditions for next season. Unfortunately, the unseasonably hot, dry weather has caused some courses to scale back cultivation programs and postpone golf course improvement projects. If your grass is too weak to sustain traditional fall cultivation, implement a less-aggressive approach by using smaller tines and less sand until the weather improves. When the weather breaks, perform additional cultivation if it is needed to promote long-term improvement.

The silver lining of a difficult season is that infrastructure deficiencies are highlighted such that they are difficult to ignore. This fall is a good time to think about turning some of your course's weaknesses into strengths.

• Irrigation coverage—For courses that have experienced extremely dry conditions, now is a perfect time to document irrigation problems related to pumping, supply, control, coverage and other factors. Act soon before regular rainfall erases irrigation coverage problems that drought has exposed. If you haven't developed a drought emergency plan, this year has certainly shown why it is important to do so.
• Drainage—Irrigation often gets top billing, but nothing is more important than getting rid of excess water when it arrives in copious quantities. Keep in mind that surface and subsurface drainage are equally important. If your greens don't have good internal drainage, implement a deep soil-modification program or install an internal drainage system.
• Trees—Trees on a golf course can add beauty and strategy, but they also shade the turf, compete for moisture and can clog drain lines. Extremely wet or extremely dry, tree roots can cause problems.
• Fans—Fan technology has improved tremendously in recent years. Having one or more portable, gas-powered fans will provide another level of protection when faced with difficult summer weather. Some courses may have been able to avoid turf loss this summer if they had used a fan for a few weeks.
• Grass species—Breeding programs are continually developing new and improved turfgrass cultivars. If you have old “grass technology” it may be time to upgrade to a species or cultivar that can better withstand heat, drought, wear and disease.

The benefit of experiencing a challenging summer is that it highlights a golf course's strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully you can use this year to affect positive change at your golf course.